Meet You There
by WeRUs
Summary: Kagome is sick of seeing Inuyasha with Kikyou, and when Kouga comes into the picture, she has an idea: make Inuyasha jealous! But she never expected to start having feelings for Kouga too. And then Kouga's long lost friend makes an appearance… KouKagInu.
1. Now You're Gone

**Meet You There  
**by 'mystical spirits' and 'Damn Regret'

**Chapter 1:  
Now You're Gone**

**--  
**

Inuyasha sat by the campfire, watching over a sleeping Kagome. He couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty as he gazed at her, because all he could think about were Kikyou and the Shikon Jewel.

For some reason, Inuyasha still found himself head-over-heels in love with Kikyou. But that was, well…it was simply absurd. He was in love with a…a corpse! And what about Kagome? He loved her just as much, if not, more. And it wasn't just because of the fact that she was, in a way, Kikyou herself; Kagome was still different, with that special something mixed in with every wonderful thing she was.

So then why did he still feel this way about Kikyou? And from what it looked like, Kikyou didn't much care for him like that anymore – minus those few moments they shared, anyway. Why couldn't he just forget about her and take Kagome in his arms?

_Old habits – and loves – die hard, I guess,_ Inuyasha thought to himself, frowning.

And if his love life wasn't difficult enough, there was still the Shikon Jewel in Inuyasha's – as well as everyone else's – thoughts. The jewel was nearly complete by now with just a few pieces missing. It was still constantly hanging around Kagome's neck, at least, it was when a demon didn't snatch it temporarily. But Inuyasha just couldn't help but feel the terrible emotion of anxiety. He was so close to becoming a full demon. Only a few pieces were keeping him from his goal, and the uneasy feeling he had stirring in his belly was killing him: they still didn't know where the rest of the shards were.

With these heartbreaking and troublesome thoughts plaguing Inuyasha's mind, he looked up at the starry sky as he very slowly drifted off into a dreamless, restless sleep.

He stirred slightly by the sound of a nearby twig snapping. He tiredly but alertly looked around, but he saw nothing. He was so annoyed at being awoken that he didn't bother to sniff the area for strange scents of danger. All he did was finger the Tetsusaiga before once again falling into a light, short slumber.

While he was asleep, a girl dressed in black clothes that somehow resembled the style of Kouga's entered the campsite quietly. She scanned all the sleeping people and demon's faces.

Her eyes abruptly stopped when they hit Inuyasha. She stared at the hanyou for a few seconds until she was convinced it was safe enough to continue her mission.

The girl walked silently to the sleeping Kagome's bag and, as quietly as she could, went through it, looking for the Shikon Jewel shards. After a while of unsuccessful searching through useless junk and, of course, ramen packages, she realized the shards weren't in there.

She made her way to Kagome in her sleeping bag, which was pulled down low enough to see what was hanging around her slender neck: the Shikon Jewel.

"Yes!" the girl whispered to herself, gently removing the necklace from the sleeping girl's neck so as not to wake her. "Found it!"

Looking around to make sure she woke no one, she carefully studied the jewel. It was not complete, she noticed, and from the looks of it, it only needed three more pieces, assuming the remaining shards were the same size as the one she already had. Yes, this girl already had one missing shard. Now the question was: who had the last two?

The thief paused suddenly. Something wasn't right. She once again scanned the faces of the surrounding company.

Kagome was right below her, sound asleep for now. To the right of her was a snoring Shippou asleep on a rock. Across the campfire were Sango…Miroku…and by that tree was Inu—

Wait a minute.

Where was he?

Realization dawned on her—

The girl quickly jumped out of the way as Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga came swinging down noisily, causing everyone to wake.

_Damn,_ the girl thought,_ so much for sound sleepers._

"Inuyasha…" Kagome sighed sleepily, rubbing her eyes. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you what's going on!" Inuyasha cried, obviously no longer tired. "That demon has our jewel!"

"And I thank you for it," the girl smirked cockily.

Inuyasha growled. "You're not getting away, at least not with the Shikon Jewel in your hands!"

"Wanna bet?" With that, the girl turned and started to run away.

Her feet trudged softly and swiftly against the hard dirt ground as she ignored the sounds of protest from those still by the campfire. Soon she was deeper into the forest – but still not very far from the camp – dodging trees in the dark. Her sharp ears heard slight sounds from footfalls, and she turned around to see who was chasing her.

Inuyasha was gaining on her quickly, so quickly that she knew if she didn't drop the jewel, she was going to be caught. She hated having her efforts go to waste, but she much preferred escaping without the jewel than being captured with a very slight chance of having it in the end, not to mention that if she were indeed caught, the hanyou would most likely kill her for her attempts.

She groaned, knowing she couldn't escape in time, and she released the jewel from her protective grasp. "'Til next time!" she called loudly as she darted further into the forest away from Inuyasha and his companions. Soon after, she disappeared.

Inuyasha halted, not caring for the demon that tried to steal the jewel, at least not yet. He picked it up quickly before it could be taken by anything else in the forest before turning and stomping back to camp.

"Who was she?" Inuyasha heard Kagome ask.

"I think she was a demon," Miroku said.

Sango shook her head, although she was agreeing. "She wasn't just _any_ demon. Didn't you notice what she wore and how she moved?"

Kagome nodded, uttering one word, "Kouga."

Inuyasha growled at the name. "Whoever she was, I think that'll be the last we'll ever see of her." He cast his head down, tossing the jewel back to Kagome. "Now go back to sleep, party's over."

--

"Damn it!" the girl shouted into the starry skies.

_You shouldn't shout like that,_ a familiar voice said in her mind_. They might hear you._

"I know," she told the voice in reply, "but I was so close to getting the jewel!"

_You'll get it eventually,_ the voice said again.

"I know…" she sighed. "But I'm still disappointed."

_Don't beat yourself up for this._

"I know." She paused, sadly whispering the words of the question she needed to hear the answer to, "Hey, Yasuo? You _will_ stay with me, right? Until the very end?"

_Yes, Moriko, I promise. To the very end._

"Good!" the comforted girl said softly as a giant black wolf came out of the brush from behind her to stand at her side.

_But for now,_ he coaxed_, let's hunt._

With that, the girl Moriko and the wolf Yasuo silently walked deeper into the forest.

--

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called as she approached the half-demon. She didn't go back to sleep like Inuyasha told them all to after the thief escaped.

"Damn it," Inuyasha growled as he pounded his fist into the ground, "she got away!" Sure, he could've gone after the girl. He did, after all, still have her scent in mind. But that demon, he had to give her credit, since she easily scattered her scent in numerous areas, making things more difficult, not that Inuyasha couldn't handle it. Not to mention, he didn't know if chasing her would've been worth it. Well, there was only one way to find out… He turned to the girl behind him. "Hey, Kagome?"

"Yeah?" she said as she sat down beside him, looking at him with her big beautiful eyes.

"Did that demon girl earlier have a Shikon Jewel shard somewhere?"

Kagome thought back to the night's current events, her mind looking back to the short moment when she laid eyes on the girl who towered above her sleeping form. "Yeah, she did. It was tied onto some necklace next to…I think it was a fang."

"A fang? Good," Inuyasha smirked, "You don't see fangs on a necklace every day. It'll be easier to find her sorry ass." He inwardly frowned to himself. It looked like he should have ran after that demon after all. She had a shard. He let out a soft but furious growl.

Kagome shook her head at his obvious anger and frustration. She knew he held grudges easily, even for the most childish things. The girl _did_ have a shard though. They would have to find that demon girl soon, Kagome knew. All the same, she was still tired, having been woken up in the middle of the night for such a short moment, and she yawned, leaning on Inuyasha's shoulder. The demon chasing would just have to wait.

It was still dark out, and Inuyasha's body was warm and comfortable, and soon enough, Kagome quickly fell asleep, still leaning on him.

Inuyasha smiled to himself, a genuine smile. He didn't mind at all that Kagome had fallen asleep on him. Truth be told, he was happy she was with him. It was strange how having her on his shoulder made him suddenly calm. He had felt Kagome this close to him before, but for some reason, this one time was…well, it was astounding. He never wanted her head to be taken from his shoulder; he wanted this amazing girl to be with him forever.

But like all good things, this one had to end.

Inuyasha looked down at the sleeping girl when a familiar smell traced his nose. He frowned.

It was Kikyou's scent.

He looked up at the sky and saw her soul collectors, and again he looked down at Kagome. He didn't want to have another fight with her, let alone leave her, but he knew he had to go and follow the aroma to Kikyou. If he didn't, then who would find out what was going on? He knew Kikyou simply appearing out of nowhere was a bit odd.

He stood and picked up Kagome, who just snuggled up closer to his chest, making him not want to leave her even more. He carried her back to her sleeping bag and laid her down. He took one last look at her and turned to leave.

"You know," came a voice, "you shouldn't go, Inuyasha. Kagome's going to find out like she always does, and this time you might not be so lucky. She might not even stay here with you."

Inuyasha frowned, his hair covering his eyes. "I have to go, Miroku." He looked up at the soul collectors. "Promise me you'll make sure she stays here."

The monk sighed. "I can make no guarantees, if or when she wakes."

"Then just do your best."

Miroku looked up at him. "You know this is a mistake, don't you?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha looked down at Kikyou's reincarnation and continued, "but someone has to go."

With that said, Inuyasha took off swiftly and silently, leaving Miroku to sigh and rest his back against the tree they were camping under.

--

Kouga sat awake while his friends slept soundly. This wasn't unlike any other night: he always found himself thinking about Kagome when he tried to sleep. However, tonight was different. He wasn't becoming even more sleep-deprived because of thoughts of Kagome, not this time.

He was up because it was the two-year anniversary of her death.

He sighed at the memory, looking out at the crescent moon in the sky. He remembered it like it was yesterday.

--

_"Hey, Kouga!" his best friend smiled as she called to him. "You ready for the hunt?"_

_He scoffed in a conceited way. "I'm always ready for a good hunt!"_

_She smiled mischievously at him. "Okay, then…"_

_Kouga raised an eyebrow. "What…?"_

_She smirked. "I bet you Katana that I'll get the biggest catch today!"_

_"What?" he exclaimed. "You're betting the sword I gave you?" He looked down at his own sword in its sheath, noting the very many similarities between the two blades._

_"Well," she shrugged, "unless there's something else of mine you want."_

_"How about you give me…umm…" Kouga thought of her possessions. "What was it called? Umm, that thing you found when we were kids?"_

_She gave him a "what-are-you-talking-about" look._

_"You know what I'm talking about!" Kouga sighed, catching her look. "I want it, so if I win this time, I get it."_

_She smirked at him humorously. "Why do you want something you can't even remember the name of?"_

_"Oh," Kouga caught her, "so you do know what it is?"_

_"Yes," she smiled to herself. Kouga had always begged her for only one thing ever since they were kids, but they hadn't talked about it for a long time. "At least I think I do."_

_"So…" he darted his eyes back and forth, waiting for an answer to his unasked question. His friend didn't look like she was going to answer him, so he found himself asking her for real. "What is it called?"_

_"Wait a sec," she paused, making sure she was thinking of the same thing as Kouga, "you're talking about the stone, right? The one with the jewel stuck in it? Am I right?"_

_"Yeah…" he still awaited her answer impatiently._

_"Oh," she laughed, "well, I just call it 'a rock with a jewel in it'."_

_Kouga groaned. So much for an answer then. "You've got to be kidding me!" he muttered. He paused, her words finally hitting him. "Really?" he asked, surprised. "Didn't you name it or something?"_

_"Yeah, but I forgot what I called it." She laughed when Kouga groaned loudly in frustration._

_"You don't remember? How could you forget?"_

_"Well, the name doesn't matter anyway! All that matters is: I'll give it to you if you beat me and I don't get the biggest catch. But if I win, I get the most valuable object you own. Sound fair?"_

_"Okay," Kouga sighed, "but the stakes are set pretty high today. I just hope I don't lose."_

_"Don't worry." She gave a sarcastic sympathetic glance. "You will!" She dodged Kouga's playful attempt to smack her arm. "Now let's race." She got in a crouching position, her best friend mimicking her actions. "Ready? On your mark…get set…" At that moment, Kouga's best friend took off running._

_"Hey!" Kouga screamed at her. "You didn't say 'go'!"_

_"Go!" she shouted back, laughing._

_Kouga took off running at a fast but steady pace, chuckling along with her._

_"Catch me if you can!" his friend teased._

_"Who said I was after you?" Kouga scoffed. "I'm going to get to your 'Special Hunting Rock' so I can catch bigger prey than you!"_

_She mockingly sounded disbelieving. "You still think you're going to win?"_

_He grinned. "I know I'm going to win!"_

_The two raced along the edge of the gorge, laughing and taunting each other the whole way. By now, Kouga had passed his friend and was running in front of her._

_The next thing he knew, he heard her yell._

_When he turned around, he saw a gigantic Gokuraku-chou separating him from her._

_"Kouga!" she said triumphantly, looking over at him with a smile on her face, not paying attention to the obvious power radiating off of the demon. Her and Kouga were used to fighting and killing large demons like this during the hunt, but what neither of them knew was that this particular demon would prove itself to be more dangerous than all the others. "I believe I'm going to win this bet!"_

_Kouga smirked competitively. "Only if you kill him before I do!" With that, he lunged at the Gokuraku-chou, as did she._

_Kouga lunged at the demon's face, causing it to back up slightly._

_That was the most either of the two friends could accomplish._

_The Gokuraku-chou laughed at the two's feeble attempts to try killing it. It looked at the girl of the two and smiled as it thought of how to get two birds with one stone…or at least, one bird._

_The demon acted like it was going to strike Kouga, but went after his best friend instead, causing her to jump towards the edge of the cliff in surprise. Again it lunged at her, making her inch closer and closer to the edge._

_Kouga soon realized what it was trying to do, and it looked like she knew as well. The only problem was, there was nothing she could do about these sudden attacks._

_Kouga was the only one who could stop it._

_He tried to lunge onto the demons back, only to be met by a quick bite on his own, before the Gokuraku-chou lunged again at his friend. Kouga could do nothing but watch in horror as she stood right on the very edge of the canyon. One more jump to that side, and she was done for._

_He just watched, frozen to the spot in fear for his friend, as she looked behind and below her. She planned to jump back, but behind her was where the gorge cut in._

_"Goodbye," she mouthed to Kouga as she looked him right in the eye for the last time._

_The Gokuraku-chou lunged again, but she had already accepted her fate and fell off the edge of the cliff to her doom._

--

Kouga sat as he replayed the memory over and over again in his head.

He could do nothing to help her. All he could do was watch in horror as she fell. It all happened so fast. One second they were teasing and poking fun at one another, betting their prized possessions, and the next… Kouga blinked back unshed tears in his eyes.

His best friend…dead. Dead for two whole years.

_She said she would always be there,_ Kouga thought sadly as he looked up into the heavens.

He paused, his eyes fixed on the flying creatures in the sky:

Kikyou's soul collectors.

He watched in curiosity as the creatures flew and dove down with souls underneath them. He stood up to wake a few wolves, but they didn't seem to think anything was wrong and went back to sleep quickly, especially after seeing it was only Kouga who awoke them with not a single look of panic in his eyes.

Curious as to what the soul collectors were doing, Kouga sprinted softly to where they were. He grew silent as he saw Inuyasha and Kikyou underneath them in the forest.

"What's that dog turd doing now?" Kouga whispered to himself as he watched Inuyasha hug his old love tightly. _Keh_, he thought, _some hanyou he is. He's so wrapped up in that dead girl, he can't even smell my "stink"! I bet he wouldn't even notice if Kagome was here—_

Suddenly, he grinned a toothy smile, a plan hatching in his mind.

He quietly sneaked out of the forest and saw a light. A campfire light.

_Bingo,_ he thought as he picked up Kagome's scent from the area by the fire. Eager to put his plan into action, he very quietly ran to where she and the others were.

Reaching the campsite, he stopped and looked at everyone, making sure they were sound asleep. Although he didn't know, the sleeping arrangement had changed a bit: Miroku was now leaning against a tree asleep as Sango rested on his shoulder, but Kagome and Shippou were sleeping in the same spots they were before the thief had interrupted their sleeping schedule.

Kouga smirked as he walked to Kagome's sleeping bag. He kneeled down next to her and put his lips against her ear.

"Kagome?" he whispered as he shook her gently. He repeated the process a few times until he heard Kagome reply.

"Kouga?" she looked up at him sleepily. "What are you doing here?"

Kouga smiled kindly at her with the grin that was specially used for her and her alone. "I want to show you something."

"Hello to you too," she said sarcastically. She looked around the camp. "Where's Inuyasha?" she cried softly, no longer tired. "_What did you do, Kouga?_"

"I didn't do anything!" Kouga whined offensively.

Kagome frowned, sitting up in her sleeping bag. "_Where's Inuyasha?"_ she cried sharply.

Kouga stood up. "That's what I want to show you. So…" he paused, "do you want to see or not?"

"Uggh," Kagome groaned, "okay." Kouga picked her up bridal style, to her shock, and carried her as he jogged to the edge of the forest.

--

Miroku's eyes snapped open as he heard a twig snap, as though someone had just stepped on it by accident. He automatically looked at Kagome's empty sleeping bag.

_Great, _he thought, not even moving to get up, _where is she?_

His eyes darted to the sound of another snapping twig by the edge of the forest.

He watched in amusement and interest as he saw Kouga put Kagome on her feet, grab her hand, and led her into the woods.

--

_Miroku looked up at him. "You know this is a mistake, don't you?"_

Inuyasha frowned. Miroku had no idea. Going to see Kikyou wouldn't just be a mistake, it would be a disaster.

What would happen if Kagome – no, he shouldn't think about that right now. He already left to find Kikyou, and he didn't like the thought of just turning back. But Kagome… He hoped she wouldn't wake just yet. He wouldn't be able to stand it if she started to cry, which she would be likely to do when she – _if_ she found out.

But still, he couldn't help but run even faster through the trees to get to Kikyou sooner. What was she doing here anyway?

Inuyasha sniffed the air, still jumping from tree to tree. _Kikyou_, he whispered in his thoughts. He was getting closer.

His sharp golden eyes could see her outline from where he was, her soul collectors hovering above, not too far from him. He hopped off a tree, running the rest of the way to his old love.

There she was.

Kikyou.

Inuyasha made his way to the clearing in the woods, and as soon as he did, he slowed to an incredibly slow walk. Kikyou just stared back at him with her cold, empty eyes.

"Kikyou…" he whispered softly, but he knew full well that she heard him.

She continued staring at him as he walked closer and closer to her still form. Her hair blew in the light wind, and Inuyasha found himself not being able to stop walking towards her, although he very much wanted to.

"What…" he started. "What are you doing here?"

She just kept staring. He shuddered lightly. Her stare was so…cold. She seemed to be void of emotions, which would be understandable, but her black eyes were extremely different than they were fifty years before. Yes, they were now the dead eyes of a beautiful corpse, rather than the eyes full of life that he had fallen in love with so long ago.

Inuyasha always used to love it when he stared into Kikyou's eyes, but now they were so empty and dull, he could barely stand it when she gazed into his own golden eyes.

_Kagome's eyes, on the other hand…_ he pondered to himself, relaxing at the thought. Kikyou's gaze, both in her current state and when she was alive, was nothing compared to the looks Kagome gave him. The way she looked at him was like his life support nowadays. He loved it when Kagome's eyes reflected happiness and comfort, but he hated it when she looked at him with sadness and distress, and he frowned even deeper as he thought of what she would do if she found out about what he was doing right now. But all the same…

"Kikyou?" Inuyasha called to the priestess, who still said nothing.

He was now a mere three feet away from where she stood. He finally stopped walking when he got to that mark, but he continued to stare into his lover's eyes. How dead those eyes were, how dead she, herself, was. Inuyasha couldn't help but miss her, although she was standing right in front of him.

He suddenly jumped toward her and pulled her into a tight hug. He thought he heard a slight rustle of leaves around him as though there was something moving in the forest, but he thought nothing of it.

_Probably just some wild animal or something,_ he thought, not bothering to check by sniffing for a scent. He didn't want to let go of Kikyou, not right now.

All the same, Kikyou didn't seem as though she wanted to be held by Inuyasha anyway. She didn't move, although he held onto her tightly. Her arms still hung at her sides, her face only lighting up slightly by the aura her soul collectors shining around her.

Inuyasha held Kikyou for just a few more moments, but soon he dropped his arms to his side, looking at his past love sadly. He was about to move away and go back to camp, although he still didn't find out why Kikyou was in the forest in the first place.

But before he could turn to leave, Kikyou's hand shot out and grabbed his tightly, keeping him still. She gave a small smirk as though she knew something he didn't. Before he could ask about it however, Kikyou did something he didn't expect her to do:

She kissed him.

Inuyasha stood still in shock, eyes wide, not reacting at all to Kikyou's lingering kiss. What the hell was she doing? She hadn't reacted to him when he hugged her just moments before, yet she surprised him by kissing him lightly.

He found himself not particularly enjoying Kikyou's kiss as much he thought he would, to his surprise, and for some reason, he just couldn't help but think about Kagome's kisses instead of Kikyou's.

Kagome.

He paused, pulling away from Kikyou's kiss quickly. He thought he heard a voice, Kagome's voice.

He turned to where he heard the voice come from, and there they stood.

Kouga…

And Kagome.

"Inuyasha…"

--

Kouga led Kagome quietly through the trees, never once letting go of her soft hand.

_Boy,_ he thought_, if this doesn't work and doesn't get Kagome to be my woman, then it looks like killing Inuyasha's going to be the only way!_ He looked back at Kagome. He could smell her fear and worry for Inuyasha._ Not to worry,_ Kouga smirked to himself,_ I'm going to change that very soon._

"How much further?" Kagome sighed.

"Not much," Kouga said in reply.

Soon the two came to a small clearing. Kouga made sure they both walked in plain view of Inuyasha and Kikyou; all four of them could see each other clearly if they looked.

Kouga glanced at Kagome for her reaction. His triumphant and proud smirk softened at his love's looks. She was paler than usual, her eyes beginning to water as she looked at her beloved hanyou and the dead girl with sadness and betrayal.

Inuyasha and Kikyou were kissing.

Kouga was still, however, pleased with himself, despite Kagome's sadness. His assumptions were correct: Inuyasha _did not_, in fact, notice Kagome's scent. He didn't even acknowledge either of their presence until Kagome whispered his name with more hurt than Kouga thought possible.

"Inuyasha…"

He pulled away from Kikyou quickly, looking extremely guilty. His eyes darted to Kagome and Kouga standing in the same clearing he and Kikyou were in.

"Kag—" Inuyasha stuttered softly, "Kagome!"

Kagome just stared in silence for a few moments. Kouga smirked at Inuyasha, afterwards glancing at the girl behind the hanyou. His smirk faltered a bit at the sight of Kikyou. True, she looked like Kagome, but she was definitely not something he wanted to see, not only because he felt as though she were trying to imitate his "woman", but…

That look she had on her face.

Why was she smirking like that? She seemed as though, as though she accomplished something without any of them even knowing she had.

Kouga tore his eyes away from her sinister look as Kagome finally spoke.

"Inuyasha," she whispered, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "H-how could you?"

"Kagome!" he protested. "No, no! This isn't what it looks like! You don't understand—"

"I thought you were over Kikyou!" Kagome continued, not paying much notice that Inuyasha was saying anything at all. "But I guess you'll never forget about her, will you?" The hanyou looked down, saying nothing. "Maybe, Inuyasha…maybe you never did care for me."

Inuyasha looked up quickly. "No! No, that's not it at all—"

"Was it all a lie, Inuyasha?" she cried out. "Did you ever really care about me? Or did you only love the part of me that was Kikyou?" She bent her head down, as though exhausted from her outburst. A lone tear started to trickle down her cheek, but she wiped it away quickly, upsetting both Kouga and Inuyasha, though they did nothing to stop it.

"Kagome," Inuyasha sighed, at loss of words. He wanted to explain, but he couldn't find the words to it. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," she whispered, causing the two males to look at her. Her hair covered her eyes, but at her last comment, she looked straight into Inuyasha's sad eyes. "_I'm sorry that I ever met you_!"

With that said, Kagome ran back into the forest.

Kouga regained his composure and smirked at Inuyasha's depressed form. "See you later, dog shit!" he called, running after Kagome and leaving the hanyou by himself. _Wait,_ he thought as he ran off. _Where'd that other girl disappear to?_ He glanced up at the sky.

There was no trace of any soul collectors.

Kouga shrugged the fact off and raced after Kagome. He caught up to her quickly, as he had the speed of a demon and she, the not-as-quick speed of a human girl, let alone one whose crying was slowing her down.

He ran in front of her form and stopped, causing her to run right into him. When she did, he hugged her tight. At first she tried to escape from his grasp, but soon after, she gave in and bawled into his shoulder, holding onto his arms tightly.

Kouga was a bit uneasy from this; he never had to comfort a girl like this before, not even his best friend before she died. He shook his head. All that mattered right now was Kagome, as unfair as it sounded to his late friend. But Kagome needed him right now.

Kouga wrapped his arms around the small girl's waist, one hand holding her close from the middle of her back. He dug his nose in her hair, savoring the soft touch against his cheek. He knew he shouldn't be relishing the feel of her in his arms, but he couldn't help but hold her even closer to him at the wonderful sensations he felt.

All too soon for him, but also thankfully, Kagome's cries subsided, and she turned her head so it was resting against Kouga's strong chest. He held her like that for a few minutes, and it felt the world to him.

Kagome too felt relaxed at Kouga's hug. She was glad and surprisingly feeling safe in his arms, not to mention that she felt relieved how at least someone was there to comfort her.

Soon, though, Kagome spoke, breaking the moment between them. "I think I should go back now, Kouga."

He looked down at the girl in his arms. All he could think about was getting her to stay away from Inuyasha and closer to himself. "You know, Kagome," he said softly to her, "you don't have to go back to where Dog Shit and the others are. You—" he loosened his hold on her and held her upper arms, causing her to look right at him, "You could stay with me."

Kagome was obviously shocked at the offer, but she smiled in reply. "I know, but—"

"Just so you know," Kouga cut her off, "if you were _my_ woman, I'd never do anything like that to you."

She looked at Kouga straight in the eye, surprised but flattered. She thought back to his offer. "I don't know…"

"What's stopping you?" he pushed lightly. There was no way she was going back to that fool of a hanyou.

"Nothing," she whispered, looking down again, "but—"

"Kagome," he interrupted for the last time, "I won't take no for an answer."

She went quiet for a moment, thinking it over. She didn't want to go back to the campsite and have to face Inuyasha and all the others like she always ended up doing after things like this happened. If she went with Kouga, she wouldn't have to. And he seemed to care about her a lot more than Inuyasha did, especially after that stunt he just pulled with Kikyou.

Kouga watched Kagome's face twist as she thought it over. _She might actually say yes,_ he gleefully thought. _She might come back with me. She might choose me over him!_

Kagome looked up at Kouga shortly after. "Kouga?"

She made her decision.

--

Inuyasha sadly walked back to the campsite. He couldn't even begin to describe how guilty he felt, how he wanted to run after Kagome and pull her into his arms. He could have followed her, he could have been able to bring her back to camp after explaining his side of the story. But for some reason, he wasn't able to.

It was many moments before he could even move again from the spot he stood where she had found him. It was many minutes later when he found Kikyou was gone, as were her soul collectors. All the same, he was going to go to Kagome, but he couldn't face her, especially not when Kouga was with her. So he found himself returning to camp…alone.

"Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha asked Miroku hopefully. Maybe she was hiding behind a tree? No, he couldn't smell her scent anywhere nearby.

"She hasn't come back yet," Miroku looked up at him. His eyes widened as he stared at the hanyou's look of depression. "_Inuyasha, what did you do?_"

The half-demon looked away. "Nothing." He could practically feel the monk's gaze bore into him. He sighed, giving in. "She caught Kikyou kissing me." He looked over at the woods, hoping Kagome would come out any second, although he knew she wouldn't. Anything to avoid Miroku's glare.

"Hn," he scoffed, "I toldyou she was going to find out."

"Yeah," Inuyasha sighed softly. His head jerked up to look back at the sitting monk, who was much more calm than the hanyou liked. "Wait a second," he growled. "You promised you would keep her here!"

"I made no guarantee that she would stay, remember?" He shifted slightly so the sleeping Sango's head wouldn't slip off his shoulder.

Inuyasha continued to growl, glaring at the monk, whose eyes were closed. "Keh," he sighed. He looked at the crescent moon above in the sky. "When she left, was Kouga—" he spat out the word, "—with her?"

Miroku looked up at him, his eyes open and filled with concern. "Yeah, he was." He turned his head to look at the moon as well. "Sorry, Inuyasha. But like I said before," Inuyasha's ears twitched as he turned to look at the speaker, "this time, you might not be so lucky. I told you she might leave you." He smirked sadly.

"And by the looks of it, Inuyasha, she did."

--

A/N: This is our joint account. Review please!  
Disclaimer: We don't own.


	2. I Wonder Why You Left Me Here

**Meet You There**

* * *

**Summary:** Kagome is sick of seeing Inuyasha with Kikyou, and when Kouga comes into the picture, she has an idea: make Inuyasha jealous! But she never expected to start having these feelings for Kouga... And Kouga's long lost friend makes an appearance... KouKagInu

* * *

Thanks for all the reviews! They're much appreciated!

**I Fear Kanna:** Thanks! Hmm…we'll have to see about that "naked Kouga" request… ;)

**Pointy Objects:** Glad to know the pace is going just fine! Expect more skits (CYBER SARCASM: but they're _real_, of course! LOL!)

**V.X.O.:** Kristen: Well, you know me, always trying to disappoint my dear Alex! (Alex: Don't worry, I'm getting her back later!) The main pairing in this story _is_ Kouga/Kagome, but we can't spoil the ending, now, can we? ;) We'll leave you to wonder how we're ending this, 'cause we aren't saying anything! And we'll definitely check out your stories and review as well!

**Darkmoonfang:** (blushes)

**Kevin:** LOL! Thanks for reading, bud! And _no_, you want to be _Kagome_, remember?

And thanks also to** Maggy**, **Chelsea**, and **Luna Eesha**

* * *

**Chapter 2:  
I Wonder Why You Left Me Here**­

* * *

Kagome followed Kouga as he led her back to his campsite.

Kouga couldn't help but smile to himself ever since she had given him her answer and consent into returning home with him. He would, at times, grin wider when he thought triumphantly about how Kagome, _his_ Kagome, chose him over that dreadful Hanyou. As she walked on next to him, he would sneak glances at the girl he held in his arms just moments before, remembering the sensations he felt at her touch.

Was it normal to feel this way about a girl? Well, Kagome wasn't just _any_ girl, Kouga knew; she was the girl that made him want to become even stronger, the girl that unknowingly got him to work harder, and the girl who had so easily captured his heart. In fact, he would've felt _surprised_, had he not felt his heart leap when her soft, soft hair tickled his nose, or when her hands supported herself on his chest as tears slid down her soft and flushed cheeks.

Kouga snuck another glance at his "woman". Every now and then, a stray tear would make its way downwards and drip off her chin, showing him that her sadness and anger at the Inu-Youkai was far from disappearing, although she wasn't to see him for as long as she could stand. Kouga felt as though a ton of bricks had hit him every time her eyes welled up with crystallized tears, or every time her hard stares into space practically burned holes in her shoes.

He looked forward again, getting a bit impatient from walking the entire way to the campsite, but Kagome had insisted that they walk so she could have a bit of extra time to think, not to mention that Kouga had accidentally let it slip out that the camp wasn't even too far a ways from where they were.

He cursed himself mentally. If he kept it to himself, she might've let him pick her up as he ran with his whirlwind of speed. Maybe then Kagome could've slept, as she looked like she really needed it. Bags were slowly but surely forming under her large eyes, but Kouga couldn't tell if it were because of sleepiness or because of frustration at InuYasha. Her hair was slightly out of place from the short run she took when she turned away from the Hanyou and the priestess, and her usually pale face was pink and flustered.

Continuing to look forwards, Kouga followed the thin trail through the woods. He sighed. It was typical and ironic, the fact that his campsite could be found at the end of the trail, whilst at the other end was InuYasha's camp. Yes, it was a long, windy trail that darted this way and that, hitting a small clearing every now and then, but Kouga thought it was best for Kagome to stay on trail, although he was sure her companions didn't always have her walk on one as they traveled.

Kouga snuck another look at Kagome. It amazed him to know that even in her depressed and moody state, she was still absolutely beautiful. His eyes quickly flickered down to her smooth, creamy legs, but they were soon looking back at her face. He was only male, and interested in the female body, but he was still a bit respectful to not undress any girl with his eyes, Kagome included.

Trying to settle his mind from one of his naughty thoughts, he pulled his eyes away from the girl next to him and walked on. Yes, his campsite wasn't far from InuYasha's and the others', but the walk was taking longer than expected. This was probably because of Kagome's slight pace difference as she slowed every once in a while. Kouga knew she was strong and pushed herself at times, but he could smell the exhaustion that was about to overcome her.

During these thoughts, a big yawn escaped from Kagome's mouth, causing Kouga to look at her once again. He knew she was becoming even more tired, and he stopped her from walking.

"What?" she yawned again, her voice still a bit quiet and lower than usual. "C'mon, Kouga, we have to get to your camp. Let's keep walking."

He shook his head at her innocent toughness. "You're not walking the rest of the way there, no way."

She opened her mouth again to protest, but he silenced her by picking her up bridal style, the same way he held her before he led her to InuYasha and the (unknown to him) priestess.

Kagome was going to cry out in surprise, but she kept her mouth shut. She was, actually, glad that the wolf youkai picked her up to carry her. She hated admitting her weaknesses, but she was exhausted, and more than happy to snuggle closer to Kouga's warm body.

Kouga looked up and was able to see the campsite from where they stood. He knew there was no point in running there now, and he decided to continue walking. Besides, the running might surprise the girl in his arms, or at the very least, wake her up a bit, when she should be getting rest.

As step after step was made, Kouga had the desire to make conversation with Kagome, as tired as he knew she was. Something was nagging him from the back of his mind, and he had to let her know…

"Kagome," he started, still looking ahead, "I'm sorry I had to be the one to show you Dog Turd and whoever that girl was, but I thought you had to know." A few seconds passed as he waited for a reply, but he got none. "Kagome?" he said softly, turning to her.

He smirked and let out a little chuckle.

She was asleep.

* * *

InuYasha let out a long sigh.

He continued to sit in the same spot where he and Kagome sat together earlier, staring around the forest and hoping she would emerge soon, although he knew she wasn't near from her lack of scent.

He was still absolutely guilty for the events earlier. He couldn't describe the pain he felt when Kagome looked into his eyes with such…hatred…and sadness… It was as though he plunged into a river colder than ice, just from that betrayed look he received from the girl he really _truly_ loved.

His dog ears twitched as he looked up into the stars. He _loved_ her. He loved her, and he was finally admitting this to himself. True, he had always known how he felt for Kagome, but he never…he never really told himself those three words.

It didn't surprise him in the slightest though, the fact that he loved her. What was Kikyou compared to Kagome? Nothing. _This_ was the thought that surprised him. Kagome was, initially, Kikyou, and it was the priestess who wormed her way into his heart first. _She_ was the one he wanted to change for, fifty years ago. _She_ was the one who made him _feel_…_feel_ for the _very first time_. So why was he-

No. He refused to believe it. He _couldn't_ be moving on from her. After all these fifty years of her love, through her "betrayals" and attacks towards him, he still loved her. So why…why _now_ was he no longer feeling this way about her?

Kagome…Kagome _was_ special, and InuYasha knew he would die for her, as he nearly did many a time. But when did she completely take over his mind…_and_ Kikyou's place in his heart? He could hardly ever stray his mind from Kagome nowadays…and he didn't know _why_. He wasn't complaining, no, not at all, but he longed to know why Kikyou was suddenly nothing to him anymore, relationship-wise.

_Why_…and _when_ did his love for Kagome overcome his love for Kikyou?

"InuYasha," a voice interrupted his thoughts, "you should really get some sleep."

"Huh?" InuYasha turned around to face the speaker.

"Go to sleep," Sango said tiredly, stirring from her spot on Miroku's shoulder. A sleeping Kirara was curled up on her lap now, a paw over one ear. "It's almost morning, and you need to rest." She paused and looked around the camp. "Hey…" she woke up a bit more in surprise, "…where's Kagome?"

A pain sliced through InuYasha's heart as he glanced at the edge of the woods again, ignoring Sango's question.

Watching the Hanyou, she couldn't help but narrow her eyes and ask threateningly, "What did you do _this_ time, InuYasha?"

He glared at the monk next to her, which didn't go unnoticed by the demon slayer. "Why don't you ask Miroku?" He was still hot-tempered at the Hentai for not keeping Kagome safe – not to mention, safe for _him_, himself – at camp.

Sango, not wanting to cause a scene just now, decided not to pry further into the events that had taken place whilst she slept. She leaned her head back on Miroku's shoulder.

Her eyes widened as she felt the monk's hand slowly inching towards her rear from her behind her back. She clenched her teeth together and growled, ramming his arm hard between her back and the tree behind them.

The Hentai opened one eye, and then the other, before giving Sango a childish pout. She just ignored it and looked away from him annoyingly as she readjusted herself so his hands wouldn't sneak their way down again.

* * *

The priestess rode a boat below her soul collectors as they traveled to a village a few miles away from her previous location. Grinning to herself mischievously, she chuckled. Her plan worked perfectly. It was quite a simple plan really, not to mention a very short one. But that was what made it so perfect. The plan was easy to accomplish, and easy to replay. There was only one purpose:

To win InuYasha.

It was an obvious fact that she knew, the fact that the wolf youkai who was obviously quite taken with her own reincarnation had made camp not far from InuYasha and that girl. He would be close by when she made her move on the Hanyou, and, because of his dislike of the said half-demon, he would take the girl to her and her love.

And once her reincarnation saw what she and InuYasha were up to, she would leave, most likely with the wolf. And then…_then_…InuYasha would be free for the taking.

This was an evil thing for her to do, compared to her familiar, kind self. But this was love, true love, and love was something worth changing for, wasn't it? It was worth dying for, it was worth living for, and it was worth the work she was doing. She did, however, feel the twinge of pity and guilt run through her non-functional veins. She was wise enough to know when not to meddle with love, but she may never feel like this again for anyone…she may never have the chance…

She frowned to herself. She knew of InuYasha's rapidly growing feelings for that…that _Kagome_, but she could do nothing about it.

Nothing but drive her away from him, despite consequences and cruelty.

She smiled menacingly, an uncharacteristic trait for the usually kind priestess, she knew. But she had an obvious reason to smile:

Her plans were working.

* * *

Kouga arrived at his campsite, Kagome still sound asleep. However, he did not try to stay quiet as he returned to camp, where a few of his friends were already awake.

"Kouga!" one of his friends called out, not noticing what he held in his arms. "Where'd you go?"

Another of his friends, however (not to mention a friend who was less daft), noticed the sleeping girl. "Hey," he glanced at her curiously, "isn't that Kagome?"

Not answering, Kouga walked closer to them, but stopped to carefully lay the sleeping girl down on the grass upright so she could lean against the smooth part of an overhead cliff. He, still slightly tired from lack of sleep (although he was used to it by now), sat next to her and placed a protective arm around her waist. He moodily turned away from his friends, not wanting to talk at the moment because of the guilt he felt sting him for leading Kagome to her heartbreak.

His friends understood that he didn't want to talk, and they left the two "lovers" alone. As Kouga once again studied Kagome's face, his arm around her, he slowly grazed his fingertips back and forth on her bare stomach, as her shirt had risen slightly, and his head rested lightly above the top of hers. He couldn't help but think how perfectly her head fit under his.

All the same, he found himself frowning. _I'm so sorry, Kagome_, he thought sadly.

Suddenly, something caught his eye. His pointed ears perked when he heard a nearby noise. A giant black wolf ran across the field that they camped out on, but it cut through to get behind large bushes so it would conceal itself from view. As if this wasn't surprising enough, Kouga stared as a young and familiar-looking girl ran after the wolf.

She hid herself behind a tree, but Kouga still saw her sniff the air. She paused in mid-sniff and caught his eye before following the wolf into the forest and out of sight.

Kouga looked around him to see if the other wolves or his friends noticed what he had just witnessed. The only company he had around him was asleep, and those who were awake were further off in the field, and for some reason, didn't notice the giant wolf or the girl, although all of Kouga's companions had their sharp sense of smell and sight.

But that wolf was…different. There was something peculiar about it, besides the fact that it was twice the size of the average wolf. And if the wolf wasn't suspicious-looking enough, there was still that girl…

When Kouga first saw that girl, he immediately thought of _her_, but she was gone before he could get a better look.

He felt even more guilt rise in him when he realized he had stopped thinking about his best friend, and how it was her death anniversary _today_.

All this chaos stirring between Kagome, InuYasha, and that priestess had driven his mind away from the one who needed to be thought of. Yes, Kagome was important too, and he didn't think forgetting about her was a good plan either, but to completely forget about _her_, his _late best friend_?

Kouga looked down at Kagome's sleeping form, his fingers still tracing subconscious patterns on her skin. He found himself smiling just by looking at her, and although watching her was pleasant, he looked to the area he had just seen the wolf and the girl.

How he missed his friend…how he missed her…

He looked at the girl beside him once more. Who knew that the two women he cared for the most would _both_ plague his mind for two different reasons, but end up with the same feelings bothering him?

Guilt…care…and love.

Kouga tried focusing his mind on the girl he saw just minutes ago. It couldn't have actually been _her_, could it? No, it couldn't. She was _dead_. He sighed. It was as though his mind just made up that girl to remind him about _her_.

Once Kouga convinced himself that the girl he saw was just an illusion, and nothing more, he fell into his usual short sleep.

He woke three hours later, and felt a chill from the spot Kagome had taken up as she laid next to him. He looked to see the face of the girl to find that she was no longer there. His eyes widened as he sat completely upright and looked around in hopes to find the young miko.

"Kagome?" he called out worriedly.

She wasn't here in the fields…

And he couldn't smell her scent anymore.

* * *

Kagome walked back through the forest, following the trail she and Kouga had followed just hours before.

She smiled slightly at the thought of Kouga, but her lips turned downwards slightly when she remembered how she left the camp an hour before without letting him or any of the others at the site know. She had snuck out and avoided every wolf and youkai's eyes, not wanting to have anyone stop her from returning to camp to get her things.

She would have to explain to Kouga where and why she had gone, but it was too late to turn back now, not to mention that he was probably asleep still.

To avoid being detected, she told herself that she wanted to mask her scent, and little did she know that an invisible shield blocked in her smell and aura from others.

Kagome shrugged the slight guilt away for abandoning Kouga and his company temporarily, but she remembered that she was doing the same thing to InuYasha and her friends.

She sighed, hoping that the said Hanyou was asleep so she wouldn't have to face him, not yet at least. Coming closer to the campsite, Kagome slowed down in slight nervousness. She came to the last tree in her way before she would come into clear view of her friends.

She hid behind the tree, turned her head, and looked around it to make sure InuYasha was, in fact, asleep. She did not, however, see him, which didn't make her feel all that better, but she still slowly emerged from the forest and continued to make the last few steps to the camp.

She would have to lay low, she knew. Just in case InuYasha _was_ awake, she had to stay clear from him. She would have to be very quiet, and not attract any attention –

"Kagome!" Shippou cried loudly. "Where have you been?"

Kagome smiled at the Kitsune as she stepped into the clearing. _So much for laying low_, she thought. _Ah well, it's to be expected_.

"I was…" What should she say? That she was with Kouga the rest of the night? That she was leaving them all to travel with _him_ for a while? That she was only back so she could grab her stuff and make a run for it? _Yes,_ she thought, _the truth is always best_. "I was with Kouga."

She heard a gasp of surprise from not only Shippou, but from Sango as well. "What were you doing with Kouga?" the demon exterminator asked.

Kagome shuffled her feet guiltily and stuttered, "I'm…well…I'm going to…um…I'm going to travel with him for a while."

Shippou and Sango gasped audibly. Kirara brushed against Kagome's leg affectionately, as though telling her not to leave.

"But Kagome," Sango protested, "you can't leave!"

"I can, and I will." Kagome was stern and stubborn, but her eyes softened as Sango and Shippou tried to reason with her about not going away.

"But what about InuYasha?" Shippou bounced up and down.

Kagome's face darkened slightly. Shippou obviously hadn't heard the events of the night before, at least not the ones after the thief got away, as he was sound asleep. She made a small noise of surprise, however, when she realized that she still couldn't see InuYasha at camp anywhere, or Miroku.

"Where's Miroku-sama and InuYasha?" she asked, confused.

"Looking for you," came the voice of her "beloved" Hanyou from behind her. "Now where were you?" he demanded, obviously not hearing her conversation with Shippou and Sango.

Kagome stood still, he back still to him. She didn't want to talk to him, or see him, at least not now after he betrayed her again. She remained quiet with anger at InuYasha, her arms crossed, glaring at her feet, which surprised Sango, Shippou, and even Kirara.

She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she just shrugged it off so InuYasha's hand fell back to his side.

InuYasha himself felt heartbroken. Damn it, he _loved_ this girl! He understood her coldness to him, but he couldn't help but feel hurt and shocked at the simple shrug of her shoulder. "Kagome, listen to me-" he started.

Kagome ignored him and moved towards her things. She rolled up her sleeping bag as InuYasha's words died on his lips. Once all her items were backed into her yellow bag (although for some reason, it didn't look too full at all), she turned to Sango, Shippou, Kirara, and Miroku.

"I'll see you guys later," she said as she pulled her bag onto one shoulder. Her four friends looked on in surprise, sadness, and confusion – except for Miroku, of course, who knew the conflict.

Kagome started to make her way back into the forest when she felt herself being pulled back.

"I'm not letting you go," InuYasha growled pleadingly, hurt and regret lacing his voice tremendously, "not until you tell me just where you think you're going!"

Kagome looked at the Hanyou straight in the eye for the first time since she arrived that morning. Her gaze was cold and full of temporary hatred, but it pierced his usually cold heart. "Away from you," she muttered softly, but everyone heard her. She broke free from InuYasha's grasp and hurried into the distant forest.

InuYasha couldn't believe what he was hearing. Kagome _really_ didn't want to be with him. She was _leaving_ him, and all he ever did was _love_ her. Well, he _did_ betray her, but it wasn't intentional, and all the same, she was leaving.

Suddenly he felt a wave of anger and frustration flow over him. He wasn't going to let Kagome leave him so easily. He took off after her, hearing the distant sigh from Miroku.

"Kagome!" he cried, running after her. "Kagome, listen to me!"

She continued to ignore him, hoping that Kouga would show up - although she still _thought_ he was asleep – for tears were already forming in her eyes.

"Kagome!" InuYasha called again. "Wait up!"

She took off in a sprint. "Go away, InuYasha!" she cried. "Please! Just leave me alone for once!"

She looked down and clenched her eyes shut, but only for a moment, as she didn't want to trip and fall. She soon got tired, and she knew the Hanyou was faster than her and would catch her anyway, and she slowed into a walk again, hearing him catch up.

"Baka, why do you always do this to me?" she crossed her arms in front of her. "You go off with Kikyou and then come back and expect me to forgive you! I'm _sick_ and _tired_ of it! This time, I will _not_ forgive you, InuYasha!"

She stopped completely and turned around to face him, as he was now directly behind her. Tears were freely flowing down her face. "_So leave me alone!_"

InuYasha was taken aback, afraid of the miko in front of him, but shocked and saddened at the same time. He was speechless, and felt as though he couldn't move. He could just watch as she turned away from him again and walked far, far from him.

_Kagome…_ he cried in his thoughts. _I'm sorry… Please…_please_ come back, Kagome! Come back to me! _He fell to his knees, looked down, and let one lone tear slide down his face.

* * *

"Kagome!" Kouga called out loudly as he searched for her. "Kagome!" He had been looking for her for quite some time now. _Where the hell _is_ she?_ Kouga's thoughts were screaming in his head.

He jogged through the woods slowly so he wouldn't pass Kagome if she was coming back. He had also sent out the wolves and his friends to search for her elsewhere, but he was searching the area he thought she would most likely be in: the area closest to InuYasha's camp.

He knelt down on one knee, looking around the area that he was standing in. He stood in silence, listening and waiting for Kagome.

He was shocked a few seconds later when he smelt tears, and not _just_ tears, but _Kagome's_ tears. This was strange…he was not able to smell her earlier…then why was her scent coming straight at him from close by, and so suddenly? He shrugged the fact off, content that he had found Kagome all the same, and he sprinted to the area he detected the smell from.

"Kagome?" he called soothingly, slowing down.

The said girl looked up at the wolf youkai, eyes filled with tears. "Kouga!"

He ran toward her, taking her into his arms. He was terrible at comforting girls, but he seemed to be doing this a lot for Kagome lately, and he felt warmth in his heart whenever he did. He placed his hands on her back, one of them hitting the yellow backpack she wore around her shoulders. He raised an eyebrow at it.

"Kagome," he whispered, "what happened? Are you alright?"

Kagome took a deep breath through her fallen tears. She had always tried to make herself seem strong, and she hated the fact that InuYasha was the one who broke her down so often. Going to camp was probably not a great idea, and just seeing his face made her heart break all over again. "I don't want to talk about it right now, Kouga," she whispered apologetically.

He seemed to understand, however, and he rested his lips on the top of her head. He felt her sigh from below him.

Kagome seemed to just notice where Kouga's hands were rested, and although they were much higher than where Miroku's hands tended to be, she grew ever so slightly uncomfortable.

She grabbed the hand that was on the small of her back and slowly made her way out of his grasp. Kouga looked down into her eyes, which were full of pain. They masked his slightly, as he was hurt at the thought of Kagome not wanting him to hold her close.

Not knowing what to say, he picked her up in the usual bridal style he carried her in, but not before removing the backpack from her shoulders so he could carry it himself.

With that, he and Kagome left the area and headed back "home".

* * *

Moriko sat down next to her wolf companion after a successful hunt. There wasn't much to do except sleep now, and Yasuo was one step ahead of her.

Curling up next to a tree, she thought about the wolf youkai she made eye contact with last night while she and Yasuo were hunting. She felt as though she had seen him before, but she couldn't think of where. Not only that, but she couldn't even _remember_ ever encountering him. She replayed many memories of when she lived with other wolf youkai, but every time she tried to remember something, it quickly turned into a blur.

Moriko sighed loudly, making Yasuo's ears twitch. She could somehow see very few memories clearly without being interrupted by a blur, but they seemed like dreams, as though they weren't real at all, although she could feel that they were.

She picked out one memory – or dream – that she remembered, as there were not many, and she replayed that one treasured childhood memory…

* * *

**+Flashback+ **

A young Moriko sat by the river that was in front of the den, but in a hidden spot so she wasn't out in the open. She sighed, enjoying the cool tickling of water moving around her feet.

She turned abruptly, hearing the snap of a twig. She searched for any oncoming danger, but seeing none, she went back to relaxing. Or at least…she _looked_ like she was relaxing. In reality, she kept alert. She sat in the same spot for a few seconds when she heard someone running towards her.

Still acting like she didn't hear anything, Moriko sat until she heard the animal or youkai jump. Right before it landed on top of her, she moved out of the way, causing the boy to land into the water.

"Hey!" the boy spit out water. "Why'd you move?"

She smirked and acted innocently. "Umm…because we're playing hide and seek, and I don't really like being It."

The boy groaned. "But I'm _always_ It!" he argued.

Moriko looked at the boy. His face was a blur to her, but his long black hair and blue eyes stood out at her. "Because you're always too loud when you try to sneak up on me!"

Moving the dark hair out of his eyes, a plan hatched in the boy's mind. He smirked to himself and tried to get out of the river, but he slipped on a rock, and down he went. He attempted this again, but to no avail. He tried one last time…

Hearing his friend's laughter, he fell yet again. He looked up at her and asked her to help him up. She walked over to her friend's younger version and held out her hand. She realized what she had done a bit too late:

She had fallen for the lamest trick in the book.

The boy pulled her into the water with him. Laughing when she swam to the surface of the river, she splashed him. Of course, he retaliated and splashed back. Then she splashed him again, and he fought back. It ended up into a huge splash fight, and the two played together until they heard the distant calling of their mothers.

"Aww…" Moriko and her friend whined. Their hour of playtime was over.

They made their way out of the water. Moriko was absolutely soaked. Her clothes, like her friend's, were stuck to her skin and seemed as though they were twice their usual size. Her hair seemed longer as well, water droplets dripping from her nose.

Moving her soaked hair out of her eyes, she looked at the wet boy, who was leading her the short distance to the den.

He looked back at her, his wet black hair plastered to the skin on his forehead.

He smiled back at her.

And that was all she remembered.

**+End of Flashback+ **

* * *

Moriko sighed again. She missed her friend, whoever he was. But then again, she didn't even know if he was _alive_, or even real.

But the figure in her dream, although he was faceless, reminded her of the youkai she saw during the hunt. Could there be a resemblance? No, there couldn't. She couldn't just make eye contact with the first guy she saw with long, dark hair and assume he was the boy in her dreams.

But after seeing all her other friends' dead bodies when she returned to that den some time ago, she wasn't sure anymore. He _did_ remind her a lot of the boy in her dreams…

Her head snapped up. She remembered something…she remembered…a _name_.

_Kouga_…

Was this the name of boy? The name of the man she saw just hours before? Maybe both? She shook her head. No, it couldn't be both. It had to be the name of the boy in her dreams, the boy who she _knew_ had to _really_ exist.

Moriko had a determined look on her face. She knew what she had to do. She had to find this "Kouga" character, and maybe then…maybe _then_ would she regain her memory.

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**A/N: **

Hello again!

In case anyone's wondering, there's a certain way we're writing this together, even though we only see each other a few times a month. Alex writes her 6 or 7 pages (or whatever) of the new chapter. Kristen, as she's Alex's beta reader, fixes up any grammar problems, and then adds detail or scenes that Alex never explained. At the end, the whole chapter ends up to be a total of around 15 pages. The end!

Okay, there's _one_ thing that really peeves us off! We have 8 reviews and 8 different people who added this story to their favorites or on their alerts, but half the people who added us** _didn't review!_** So remember, the only way to get us to post faster is to actually review the story!

So what're you waiting for? Go review!

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**Disclaimer:**

**Alex:** (to audience) Okay, in case you didn't bother to read the last disclaimer, Kristen really PEEVED me off! How many of you thought that was evil? (everyone raises hands) Yes, well, today I'm going to get her back! Ok everyone, now we're gonna bring her out right now, and little does she know, she's gonna cry veeeery soon!  
**Kristen:** (enters) Uh...hey Alex? You aren't still mad about the last chapter, are you?  
**Alex:** (pretends to not care) Me? No! Of course not! (giggles to self)  
**Kristen:** Okay, good, cuz I thought you were gonna get me back for that.  
**Alex:** Me? NO! What makes you say that?  
**Kristen:** (starts to answer, but Alex interrupts her)  
**Alex:** As a matter of fact, I have a treat for you!  
**Kristen:** Really? What is it?  
**Alex:** Okay, well see that glass box over there? Now, go over and stand in it. (Kristen goes inside, and Alex locks the door) Okay, well now you see those three doors over there?  
**Kristen:** Yeah...  
**Alex:** (uses announcer voice) Well, behind Door Number 1, we have...INUYASHA! (crowd goes wild) Behind Door Number 2, we have CHOCOLATE SYRUP! (crowd goes wild AGAIN) And last, but not least, behind Door Number 3, we have MIROKU! (crowd does NOT go wild, mainly because they've all been violated) Now, Kristen, pick which door you want!  
**Kristen:** (panics) Uh...uh...THIS IS SO HARD TO CHOOSE!  
**Alex:** Well, you only have 5 more seconds...3...2...1...TIME'S UP! Now here's the prize: YOU GET TO WATCH _ME_ ENJOY ALL YOUR PRIZES!  
**Kristen:** DOUBLE-YOU TEE EFF?  
**Alex:** Okay, Kristen, what would _you_ do with all these prizes? (Kristen motions Alex to come into the box; she then whispers her answer, not realizing that the door is open and she could make her escape) But...but... It's irrational! It's impossible! It's against my religion!  
**Miroku:** (comes out from behind his door) HEY! THAT'S MY LINE FROM EPISODE "**Nakaru and Sesshomaru Join Forces**"!  
**Alex:** (ignores him) Oh well, who cares about the irratinal-ness, impossible-ness, and against-my-religion-ness? LET'S DO IT! (opens all 3 doors, takes syrup, and...)  
**Kristen:** There's only ONE way to stop Alex from abusing my presents! (prepares herself) KOUGA! (everyone sees approaching whirlwind)  
**Alex:** Hey, Kristen? How come whenever Kouga runs, there's a whirlwind?  
**Kouga:** (shows up, all dizzy) I have advice for all you who want to run in whirlwinds: NEVER run in circles so much.  
**Alex:** (looks at Kouga whilst Kristen drools over her 3 prizes) Hey Kristen? Truce?  
**Kristen:** TRUCE! (Alex and Kristen enjoy their "prizes") Hey, wait a second! We forgot the disclaimer, and that's the whole point of this thing!  
**Alex:** Well, you, me and Kouga said it _last time_, and InuYasha and Miroku can't do it because they're too naughty, so how about we let the chocolate syrup do it? (calls syrup)  
**Chocolate Syrup:** Kristen and Alex don't own anything. 'Nuff said.  
**+Prizes Disappear+  
Kristen and Alex:** (throws Chocolate Syrup away) We're never eating chocolate syrup again.

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**Review!**


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